


Modest Dreams

by annella



Series: Modest Dreams [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Humor, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:41:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26373652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annella/pseuds/annella
Summary: Tseng has modest dreams: get a promotion, find a boyfriend, get a bigger apartment. He’s well on his way to achieving these dreams when his boss informs him that he will be hiring one Rufus Shinra to work in his coffee shop.
Relationships: Rufus Shinra/Tseng
Series: Modest Dreams [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953715
Comments: 11
Kudos: 56





	Modest Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly I just really enjoyed writing this. I hope you enjoy reading it. :)

The Shinra Coffee Co was, as employers went, not too bad for being a huge, corporate, faceless conglomerate. Tseng had been working there for five years, starting as a junior in a tiny cafe who didn’t know how to froth milk and climbing the ranks until he was now managing one of the largest branches of the chain in Midgar. Admittedly, full time barista was not the career his parents had had in mind for him when they moved to Midgar when he was a child, but Tseng had worked hard to be where he was, and he wasn’t unhappy. 

Veld had been watching his progress over the years, and had nothing but good things to say about him. He’d recently earned a small pay increase—not much to write home about, but it allowed him to buy a mako-powered scooter and a second bookcase. One day he hoped to earn enough to be able to afford a larger apartment—his current one was a small studio apartment about the size of a shoebox, but he had a comfortable bed with nice linen, plenty of books, and a desk set up with a view out his window. He even had two large plants which he’d managed to keep alive for the past few months, against all odds.

All in all, Tseng’s life was going just fine. He might even make area manager one day, if he played his cards right. Everything was on track, as long as he kept his dreams modest. 

Until Monday morning, when he showed up at work and found Veld waiting outside for him, a frown on his face.

“Good morning,” Tseng said politely. He was always the first to arrive, and usually had at least half an hour to make himself coffee and breakfast before any of his colleagues showed up. Visits from his area manager were rare, and always meant he’d be playing catch up for the rest of the day as he tried to complete all the extra tasks he’d been given.

“Tseng,” Veld greeted him. He followed Tseng inside and to the back room, putting his bag down and sitting at the small table while Tseng started setting up the machines for the day. He quickly made coffees for both himself and Veld, and brought them out the back along with a toasted bagel. Veld was glowering at a tablet, and looked up at Tseng when the coffee appeared in front of him.

“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” Tseng asked. He didn’t like the look on Veld’s face, particularly not this early in the morning.

“Now, before you react, hear me out.”

Tseng froze with his coffee half raised to his mouth. "React to what?" he asked.

Veld sighed. “I know you’ve been doing interviews recently, but I have your new employee.”

Tseng nodded. “I see. Who am I hiring instead of the lacklustre people I interviewed?”

“Rufus Shinra.” Veld took a long drink of his coffee and put the cup down, clearly expecting the worst.

Tseng stared at him, his expression frozen in horror. “Rufus _Shinra._ ”

“The very same.” 

“But… why?” Tseng didn’t read tabloids, but it was hard to avoid seeing the headlines on them as he walked to work every morning, and Rufus Shinra’s photo was frequently on the cover with headlines like SHINRA HEIR FOUND DRUNK IN GUTTER or with photos of an inebriated Rufus falling out of the back seat of a car with a young man or woman attached to his arm. He didn’t have much sympathy for the spoiled heir whose entire life seemed to revolve around getting drunk and getting laid and probably hadn’t worked a single day in his privileged life. He was going to inherit an entire multi million gil company with precisely zero effort, while people like Tseng had to work and scrape for a living.

“His father wants to try to rein him in. He thought putting him to work in one of his cafes might help.”

“But why _mine_?” 

Veld quirked an eyebrow at him. “Because this is the tightest ship, Tseng.”

“I trust you remember what happened five years ago,” Tseng said, his voice tight.

“I do,” Veld admitted, “but that was five years ago, and I think it’s time you moved on. I’m sorry, Tseng, but Heidegger asked me which branch manager would be most capable of dealing with him, and you’re the best.”

The praise was nice, but Tseng was still horrified at the prospect of having Rufus fucking Shinra working in his cafe. “When does he start?” he asked, his voice surprisingly even considering the circumstances. He didn’t want Veld knowing how irritated he was by this.

Veld looked at his watch. “He should be here in about ten minutes.”

Tseng nodded, hiding a frown; there was a lot to do today. It was seasonal changeover day, and Tseng needed to get all the signage changed as well as set up the machines to do new orders. He’d called all the staff in for extra shifts, and now he was going to be stuck working with a man he despised. “Very well.”

“Sorry, Tseng,” Veld said, shrugging. “But if it’s any consolation, I have all the faith in the world that you’ll be fine. Oh, and one last thing.” Veld cleared his throat. “You’re not allowed to fire him. That’s a _personal_ request from me. My job’s on the line here, Tseng. Take care with it.”  
  


Rufus Shinra, when he showed up twenty minutes later, looked just as much the spoiled, rich heir Tseng remembered him being. He was wearing a brand new, freshly ironed Shinra Coffee Co polo shirt, but had paired it with the most expensive looking pair of slacks Tseng had ever seen as well as shiny black shoes which were absolutely going to have coffee stains on them by the end of the day. He pushed his sleek sunglasses up his head and Tseng couldn’t help but notice he looked a bit seedy around the edges—maybe he’d been found in another gutter earlier that morning. Despite this, he was still frustratingly handsome in a rich, clean-cut sort of way, his silvery blond hair falling rakishly across his forehead and his grey eyes sparkling. Tseng also happened to notice that the sleeves of his polo shirt fit very snugly around his muscular upper arms. 

“You must be Rufus,” Tseng greeted him politely with a smile, his hand out. “I’m Tseng, the manager here.” He didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot; no matter how he felt about this, he was a professional. It was unlikely Rufus remembered him, and perhaps they could get along now that the circumstances were different.

Rufus grunted at him, ignoring his hand and narrowing his eyes. “Hmm.” He looked Tseng up and down, taking in his ragged boots, his black pants faded at the edges, his coffee-stained polo, and his hair tied up in its usual tight ponytail to keep it off his face. “I guess it could be worse.” His voice was rough, likely from lack of sleep, but it sent a jolt of heat through Tseng’s body. Oh no—he did _not_ need this.

Tseng drew himself up, secretly glad to discover that he had an inch of height over Rufus, and gave him an icy glare. “This is _my_ territory, now. You’ll earn your keep, or I will make you regret it.” 

Rufus laughed. “Oh, I’d like to see you try.” He winked at Tseng, then strode past him towards the back room, where the rest of the team waited for the morning briefing.

“I’m going to jump off the plate,” Tseng muttered under his breath, following him and mentally preparing himself for what was going to be a _very_ long day.

  
  


It was a _very_ long day. By the time he got home, all Tseng wanted to do was lie face-down on his bed and never get up again. Rufus had, much to Tseng’s immense irritation, gotten on incredibly well with all the other staff. He should have seen it coming—Reno had that same breezy, cavalier attitude, which meant he could be frustrating to work with but always exciting to be around.

As Tseng predicted, Rufus hadn’t known the first thing about coffee. In order to save his sanity while he rushed around getting organised, he placed the ever patient Rude in charge of showing Rufus the basics of the machines while he assigned the rest of the group various tasks to set up the summer drinks menu. With fifteen minutes until open, he went to see how the training session was going, and was surprised to see Rufus expertly frothing the milk and pouring it into the espresso shot like he’d done it a thousand times before.

“He’s a natural,” Rude said, and Rufus looked up at Tseng, winking at him before passing over the coffee he’d prepared. Tseng examined it, and realised that Rufus had even made latte art: an extremely good impression of a penis.

“Did you teach him _that?_ ” Tseng asked, an eyebrow raised, and Rude glanced down. He coughed, hiding a smile.

“Like I said, he’s a natural.”

Rufus leered at him. “Do you like it?” Reno, who happened to be passing by, took one look at the latte 'art' and burst out laughing. 

"Oh man, we're keeping this guy," he chortled, patting Rufus on the back. Rufus grinned at him. 

Tseng put the cup down and walked away.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t just pass all the responsibility for Rufus onto his team. His morning was spent trying desperately to hide his irritation as he showed Rufus how everything worked at the cafe: the basics of the menu, the ovens to heat food, where all the syrups were stored, measurements, all the little things he’d need to know if he was going to last more than a day. 

Much to his annoyance, Rude’s first impression of Rufus seemed to be accurate: he was a natural. Even Reno—who had been working for Shinra for almost as long as Tseng had—wasn’t as quick as Rufus at mastering the new menu options. Tseng watched in surprise as Rufus presented a customer with her Spiced Caramel Latte with a flourish and a smile, leaving the customer looking slightly dazed as she took her drink and left.

Tseng was going to have to adjust his expectations. 

One thing was clear, though: he didn't know how to deal with petty complaints. Par for the course in a coffee shop, customers found all sorts of ridiculous things to moan about. Too hot, too sweet, excuse me but I ordered two pumps of caramel and one of hazelnut and there is _definitely_ more hazelnut than caramel in this—all fairly ordinary, and none of them particularly serious. It was easy to simply remake the drinks and give the customer a smile, hiding the gritted teeth. Rufus, however, was scowling darkly and looked ready to explode, so Tseng pulled him aside.

"What's wrong?"

"These people are idiots," Rufus snapped. 

Tseng blinked at him. "Yes? What’s your point?"

"That last one picked up the wrong drink! I definitely called out a man's name and this dumb bitch just waltzed up to the counter, picked it up, took a huge gulp, then complained that it was wrong! It wasn't even her drink!" He seemed highly put out by it, as if this wasn't just a normal day working in a cafe. 

Of course; Rufus had likely only ever had people catering to his every whim, and this was the first time he’d ever been one of the unfortunates who had to do the catering. “That’s normal,” Tseng explained. “It happens so often, we keep a tally, and we go to the pub after close when the tally reaches a hundred.”

“Why are they so dumb? Do these people have jobs and lives? How have they not accidentally fallen off the plate? And why are they so _awful?_ I accidentally put one too many sweeteners in this lady’s coffee and you’d think I’d killed her dog!”

“Oh, yes, that happens,” Tseng said. “I still remember when I first started working at Shinra and had the bad luck to make the wrong drink for someone. He was so rude and abusive, I almost quit on the spot.”

“What a dick,” Rufus said with feeling.

Tseng stared at him for a moment, then sighed. “Look, you’re working a service job. People can be awful and they can be complete idiots, and we all have a good laugh about them in the back room. But you’ll find that a majority of them are fine, and some of them are even nice. It’s just the bad ones that stick in your mind and ruin your day. The faster you learn not to let the stupid ones get to you, the easier your job will be.”

“Still can’t believe she took the wrong drink,” Rufus muttered darkly.  
  


About an hour later, Tseng was ready to murder Rufus. He’d been rummaging in a cupboard under the counter while Rufus got more practice in with the main espresso machine next to him, when he felt something damp drip down onto his head. He reached up to touch his hair and was horrified when his hand came away _sticky_.

“Sorry!” Rufus exclaimed. “Hand slipped.” Tseng glanced up at him and his eyes widened when he saw the bottle of caramel syrup he was holding.

“What the fuck?” 

“Need help washing it out?” Rufus waggled his eyebrows.

Tseng stood up and simply walked away. He was a patient man, normally. He’d been working with Reno for almost three years and not once fired him, which spoke volumes for his patience. But after only a few hours with Rufus, he was ready to find somewhere private and soundproof and just _scream_. 

  
  


“If he dies, will that mean you get fired?”

“ _Tseng? What’s wrong?”_

“Rufus. I’m not allowed to fire him, but am I allowed to throw him off the plate? Will they still fire you if they can’t trace it back to me?”

Veld sighed, and Tseng could easily imagine the look on his face. “ _What did he do?”_

Tseng ground his teeth. “Poured syrup in my hair.”

Veld was silent for so long, Tseng wondered if the call had dropped out. But then he heard the stifled sounds of someone doing their best to suppress a laugh, and he sighed and hung up.  
  


Tseng stared at the ceiling, trying to muster the energy to get off his bed and into the shower to try to wash off the syrup and do something about the coffee smell. It was pointless; the smell lingered on his skin no matter what he did, and there were times he considered getting all his hair cut off just so he could get rid of the permanent aroma of roasted beans which wafted past his nose every time his hair got in his face.

His phone buzzed; it was Aerith.

_Still on for tonight, I hope?_

Tseng groaned. He’d forgotten he was grabbing dinner with Aerith. He looked at the time; he didn’t have time to wash his hair if he was going to get there by seven.

_Yes - but can we make it half an hour later? I have to wash my hair._

_??? We’re just going to the pub?_

_I’ll tell you all about it when I get there. :(_

_Can’t wait! :)_

Tseng tossed his phone aside, pushed all thoughts of Rufus Shinra out of his head, and hauled himself off the bed and into the bathroom.

  
  


Aerith laughed for a full minute when Tseng told her about his day. He sat back and sipped his drink, waiting for her to stop. 

"I'm so sorry," she giggled, "but that‘s _hilarious._ I still remember you ranting about him back when you first started at Shinra!"

“Don’t remind me,” Tseng said with a scowl. “I can still picture in excruciating detail the way he looked down his nose at me as he told me how fucking useless I was.”

“Admittedly, you did fuck up his order.”

Tseng leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. He’d been a brand new employee, fresh-faced and still enthusiastic about serving coffee, and on his second shift, the fucking CEO and his son came into the cafe as a random drop-in. Tseng had immediately noticed how cute Rufus was, and was keen to make a good impression. Unfortunately, he accidentally made a cappuccino instead of a latte, and the stream of abuse Rufus had thrown at him on the first sip was enough to have Tseng drafting a letter of resignation on his break. He’d only stayed because Veld had talked him down and reassured him that he wouldn’t have to deal with Rufus again. So much for _that._

He’d been nursing that anger in his heart for a long, _long_ time. He’d fantasised frequently about going back in time and, instead of smiling at Rufus and making the drink again, taking the rejected coffee and throwing it in his face. That white suit would have been drenched and stained beyond repair, that perfect hair dripping wet and ruined.

"Do you want to know the worst thing?" Tseng pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Go on."

"He's so _hot._ Like, I'd take him home and fuck him in a heartbeat if I didn’t hate him so much."

"Oh really?" Aerith pulled out her phone and after a few seconds of tapping the screen, she hummed thoughtfully. "I can see that. He looks like a real piece of work, but I wouldn't kick him out of bed either." She turned her phone to show Tseng what she'd found: a candid photo of Rufus out for a run, wearing a sleeveless top and a pair of _very_ short running shorts, and Tseng groaned, banging his head on the table.

“How long do you have to keep him on?”

“Veld didn’t say. Until he ‘straightens up’, apparently.”

Aerith made a sympathetic noise and gently patted Tseng on the shoulder. “It’ll be okay! Maybe he’ll straighten up quickly. Or you’ll loosen up.”

“Neither of those things are likely.” Tseng groaned again, heartfelt and frustrated.

“Oh, come on. Remember when you used to babysit me? You were so tightly wound. I was terrified of you to start with. But then you relaxed and I realised you were actually a nice person.”

Tseng smiled. That had been almost over ten years ago, when he was a stuffy teenager and Aerith was the little girl he babysat. They’d become good friends after she outgrew the need for a sitter and managed to maintain that friendship as adults. There weren’t many people who knew Tseng as well as Aerith did, and no one else who he felt he could relax around. Almost everyone else he was acquainted with thought of him as cold and efficient, good at his job but not really someone you'd want to be friends with. 

This suited Tseng just fine. 

“So how’s Seventh Heaven going?” Tseng didn’t want to think about Rufus anymore today, and the goings on at Aerith’s little coffee shop were always entertaining. Seventh Heaven was a few blocks away from Tseng’s branch of the Shinra Coffee Co, and the two places couldn’t have been more different. While at Shinra you could get a vast range of coffee-style drinks—hot or cold, frappe or smoothie—with a seemingly endless menu of seasonal drinks, syrups and toppings, at Seventh Heaven the options were a lot more basic. People knew what to expect at Shinra—exactly the same as what you’d get at any other branch—but people travelled from all over Midgar for the artisan coffee at Seventh Heaven, not to mention the freshly made food that Aerith prepared every day.

“Oh, you know. Tifa hired someone new. Said she knew him growing up.” She scowled a little. “If you ask me, he’s a bit of a jerk, even though he’s cute. But she’s the boss, so.”

“Has he poured syrup in your hair yet?”

“No, but—”

“Then he can’t be as bad as Rufus.”

Aerith laughed. “He’s getting along well with Zack, surprisingly.”

“That’s not a surprise. Zack’s a puppy; everyone gets along with him.”

“That's true, even Barret likes Zack!” Aerith took a long sip of her drink, her gaze fixed on Tseng.

“What?”

“So, are you going to ask him out?”

“Why would I ask him out? He’s a massive dick.” Tseng was baffled; he’d just spent the past ten minutes telling her how much he hated Rufus.

“Oh Tseng,” Aerith said, patting his hand and looking at him pityingly. “He’s clearly into you, and I think you're into him too. I've never heard you talk about someone so much for so long.”

Tseng scoffed. “I don’t think so.” 

“Tseng, he was mean to you _once,_ five years ago. You’ve had plenty of customers say worse to you since then. You’ve got quite a chip on your shoulder about this.”

Aerith was right. He’d had customers throw frappes in his face, customers tip their drinks on the floor, and a lot of abuse hurled at him for the most ridiculous of reasons. But the incident with Rufus had stuck in his mind, rankling and festering away beneath it all. Why was he so fixated on it? Rufus clearly didn’t remember it, if his reaction to Tseng telling him about it was anything to go by.

“He’s Rufus fucking Shinra, heir to the biggest coffee empire in the world. I’m a barista. He’s not doing this because he likes me; he’s doing it to piss me off.”

Aerith hummed, sounding unconvinced. “Why would he just want to piss you off? What’s in it for him?”

“He knows I can’t fire him. I can’t do _shit_ to him. He’s annoyed at being forced to work in the cafe and is taking it out on me.”

“Tseng,” Aerith said seriously, putting her drink down and reaching across the table to take Tseng’s hand. “I know you probably won’t believe me, but you’re actually pretty cute. It’s really not too hard to understand why he would be into you.”

Tseng glanced away, a faint blush rising in his cheeks.

“I mean it. When’s the last time you went on a date? Like… a year ago? And you don’t exactly socialise with anyone except me.”

“I socialise!”

Aerith scoffed. “Occasional nights at the pub with your colleagues don’t count, because I know you don’t drop the boss facade.”

Tseng sighed, burying his face in his hands. He knew he wasn’t too shabby to look at, but aside from his hair, he didn’t really think he had any distinctly attractive features. “Irrelevant. He doesn’t want to date me, and just because I want to fuck him, doesn’t mean I want to date him. He’s annoying.”

“Fine,” Aerith said with a sigh. “What did you want to get for dinner?”  
  


Tseng was in his own special hell. Rufus delighted in tormenting him, trying to make him laugh with dirty jokes and constantly making borderline flirtatious comments to the point where Tseng wondered whether Aerith had a point. He’d always been very careful to keep his personal life and professional life separate, and having Rufus step over those lines without even thinking was both confusing and a little terrifying. He would have thought that working with Reno and Elena—both of whom tried every so often to goad Tseng into an emotional reaction—might have prepared him for this, but he hadn’t reckoned with Rufus’ determination. The rest of the team were starting to notice his frustration, and he felt like his tightly-run ship was starting to leak.

“What am I going to do?” he groaned to Rude after they had closed up one evening. “He’s driving me up the wall even worse than Reno did.”

Rude cleared his throat. “You could try loosening up,” he suggested. "Smile at his jokes. You could stand to smile a bit more at work."

“That’s what Aerith said.” Tseng rubbed his temples.

“He’s poking you because he knows it bothers you. Like Reno does. But Reno knows when to stop. He respects you.” Rude peered over his ever-present sunglasses at Tseng. “So unless you're planning on relaxing for once in your life, you’re going to have to draw that line with Rufus as well. Look, he's a decent guy. You'd probably like him if you gave him a chance."

They walked together in silence for a minute or so until the train station came into view. Tseng hadn’t told any of his staff about his first encounter with Rufus, and Rude was just confirming what he suspected: they all thought he was overreacting to Rufus’ presence. “Thanks,” Tseng said quietly.

“You know we’ve all got your back, right?” Rude said. “I know Reno and Elena are acting up, and Cissnei probably will as well, but none of us are going to take the side of some spoiled rich boy over you if it comes down to it.”

A warmth grew in Tseng’s chest. He’d been working with his staff for a year now, moulding them from a ragtag group of mismatched misfits into the most effective team in the company, and had earned their respect. He wasn’t about to let this small hiccup ruin that.

He didn’t tell Rude how badly the flirting was getting to him, how conflicted it made him feel. He kept catching Rufus looking him up and down, staring at his ass, and often standing just a little bit closer than necessary. And then there were the “accidental” touches—a brush of fingertips as he passed Rufus a cup. Rufus letting his hand catch on Tseng's hair, trailing through the ends of his ponytail. Squeezing past him in the storage room, making sure to let his body slide against Tseng’s. All of this was done with a sly grin and a wink, and it was driving Tseng up the wall with frustrated lust.

That night in the shower, Tseng couldn’t help spending a little longer than necessary washing himself, sliding his hand over his cock until he was fully hard. It had been a long time since he’d had release from someone else’s touch, and he tried to conjure up some good memories to get himself off.

Yes—that time an ex gave him a really fantastic blow job, resulting in what was possibly the best orgasm Tseng had ever had. He closed his eyes and imagined the guy on his knees, faceless and distant, that talented mouth working at him. He stroked faster, leaning against the shower wall, and suddenly it was Rufus on his knees before him. Tseng gasped as lust uncoiled in his gut, spreading like wildfire through his body until he was panting. He imagined fucking that perfect mouth, his hands tangled in Rufus’ silky smooth hair, that wicked smile being destroyed by his cock.

Tseng bit his lip to stifle the deep moan when he came over his hand. The cool ceramic of the tiles against his back was a welcome contrast to the heat flooding his body, and he sighed. He was well and truly fucked.  
  


“For the love of _god,_ Rufus. I’ve asked you three times to take the trash out.” Tseng glared at Rufus, who did a very good impression of innocent confusion.

“Did you? Terribly sorry, I mustn’t have heard you the first two times.”

Tseng gritted his teeth. “Now?” He pointed at the three large trash bags behind the counter. It was Saturday evening, only half an hour until close, and he really didn’t want to be carting bags of trash out of the cafe later on. They were all headed to the pub after work: Rufus had marked off the hundredth tally mark on the board out the back with a flourish after an old man had grabbed a pink frappe clearly meant for the young girl standing next to him, and everyone had erupted in cheers. It had been a while since they’d all had a night out together.

“Sure thing, boss!” Rufus walked up to him and, before Tseng could do anything to stop him, he leaned down, grabbed Tseng around the waist, and hoisted him up over his shoulder. “Out the back, right?”

Tseng’s body folded in half over Rufus’ _(broad, muscular, god he was so well-built)_ shoulder, the breath being driven from his lungs, and he involuntarily let out a high-pitched and deafening shriek.

“Put me down!” he yelped, pounding Rufus’ back with his fists. Shiva help him, everyone was watching—Reno, bent double wheezing; Rude, his hand to his mouth as he tried not to laugh; Elena and Cissnei falling over themselves giggling. All he needed was for Veld to walk in and his humiliation would be complete. And—was that a _hand_ on his ass? To add insult to injury, Rufus smelled incredibly good, his spicy cologne discernible even under the coffee smell permeating his clothing. Tseng was torn between arousal and rage, one feeding off the other.

“Nice ass,” Rufus said, and Tseng growled as Rufus patted it. 

“Put me the fuck _down,_ ” he hissed. Something in his voice must have given Rufus pause, because he was suddenly being placed on his feet. His head swam a little as he stood up straight and narrowed his eyes at Rufus. 

Every one of his staff had been subject at one point or another to Tseng's anger. Some more than others, Reno most of all. They all knew they'd pushed him too far when he reached the stage of icy glares. 

"If you ever do that again," he said calmly, "you will regret it." 

The cafe was silent; the rest of the team had stopped laughing. Rufus grinned at him, cocky and handsome, and Tseng wasn't sure if he wanted to punch that perfect, smug face or kiss him breathless. 

"You can't do shit to me," Rufus said, but his grin had faltered in the face of Tseng's gaze. 

Tseng took a step towards him, glad of the inch or so he had over Rufus. "I'll tell your father," he said softly.

Rufus' eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

Tseng raised an eyebrow, and Rufus looked away. But it was pointless; Rufus had gotten what he wanted. Tseng turned and walked away, trying to put the feel of Rufus’ hand caressing his ass out of his mind. The worst part of it all was that having Rufus pick him up like that was the most human contact he'd had in months, and his entire body was buzzing from it.   
  


"I don't want to go home," Rufus said petulantly. He looked miserable; his normally perfect hair was falling over his face and his formerly immaculate shirt was askew. There was a red mark on his cheek from where the man in the pub had tried to knock him out. It had been an eventful evening, starting out fairly well but culminating in Rufus starting a fight and getting them kicked out of their favourite pub. Everyone had been pretty pissed off with Rufus after that, and Tseng had been left to make sure he wasn’t found in a gutter again.

Tseng sighed. He was drunk enough to be relaxed, but not drunk enough to be happy about dealing with an even drunker and incredibly morose Rufus Shinra. He hadn’t pegged Rufus as a sad drunk, and he was irritated that everyone had run off and left him alone with the guy. He actually missed snarky, flirtatious Rufus. "Why? You live in a fucking mansion!"

Rufus leaned against him, the rattling train pushing them closer together and his head lolling onto Tseng's shoulder. He turned his head, burying his face in Tseng’s hair. "My father hates me," he said. "'S why he made me work for you."

Tseng pushed Rufus off him. "Fuck you," he growled. "Working in a cafe isn't a fucking _punishment_ , you know."

"It is, though," Rufus grumbled. "The customers are so horrible and I smell like coffee _all the time_."

"Have you seriously never worked a service job in your life?"

Rufus shook his head, long strands of silvery blond hair covering his face. "Never had a job before."

"But you're _twenty five!_ "

Rufus ignored him, turning away and leaning against the window.

"Oh my god," Tseng muttered under his breath. Not so very long ago, he'd been happy and enjoying his job and his life, with small, modest goals like _find a larger apartment_ and _become area manager one day_ and _find a boyfriend_. Now he was a glorified babysitter, supervising this overgrown child who'd never had to work a day in his life before showing up on the doorstep of Tseng's cafe.

"Tseng—"

"It sucks, doesn’t it? Having people yell at you for the stupidest of reasons? Having a customer tell you that you’re a fucking useless piece of shit because you made them a cappuccino instead of a latte?”

Rufus stared at him in horror. “I—that was you.”

“So you do remember. Highlight of my career, that was,” Tseng spat. “You know what? I don’t even care anymore. It was five years ago. Maybe you should just fucking quit if you hate it so much, having to do manual work and associate with the lower classes, being treated like you’re one of us. God knows it'd make _my_ life easier." He was too drunk to moderate his words, and all his frustration with Rufus and the entire situation he'd found himself in was pouring out of him without any filter. It was unfair of him, he knew, but he couldn't help it. 

Rufus turned back to him, looking genuinely upset. "I’m sorry," he said quietly. “I was a pretty awful person back then. I guess I don’t blame you for hating me.”

"Oh, for the love of—I don't hate you, okay? I did, for a while. But when you're not pouring syrup in my hair, you're actually decent." Tseng leaned forward, burying his face in his hands.

"Sorry I'm such a pain in the ass," Rufus mumbled, leaning back against Tseng. He smelled of whiskey, that sharp cologne, and as always, the ever present smell of coffee, and Tseng sighed.

"Why don't you want to go home?" he asked as the train pulled into his station. Rufus didn't answer, and he was quiet as they disembarked the train, his steps wobbly enough that Tseng kept a hand on his shoulder to guide him through the ticket gates and up the stairs. It was only about ten minutes from the station to Tseng's apartment, but the short walk seemed to sober Rufus up a little. He was a fair bit steadier on his feet by the time Tseng's building came into view.

"Well, this is me," Tseng said awkwardly as they approached his building. He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking everywhere except at Rufus. "Are you going home, or staying?"

Rufus hung his head. "Can I stay?" He scuffed his shoe on the ground, kicking a rock.

Tseng cursed his soft heart. "If you make any negative comments about my apartment, I will throw you out of the window."

Rufus smiled so widely, Tseng couldn't help but smile back.

  
  


"Wow, it's—" Rufus glanced at Tseng and shut his mouth. He turned around in the apartment, taking in the single room with the kitchenette off to the side, Tseng's bed in the corner, a couch and TV in another corner, and the desk in front of the window with bookshelves on either side. "It's cosy."

"That was close," Tseng said, tossing his coat on the back of the couch. "Bathroom is through that door, and that's pretty much the grand tour."

"It's nice," Rufus said, flopping down on the couch. 

Tseng narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm serious! You have plants. I like plants." He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. 

"You can sleep on the couch," Tseng said. He was exhausted, wanting nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep. "I'll get you a pillow."

"Thanks," Rufus said quietly. Tseng grabbed the spare pillow off his bed and brought it over to the couch, handing it down to Rufus. He looked despondent, and Tseng realised that he could not, in good conscience, just go to bed and leave him there to stew. He sat down next to him, nudging aside one of the piles of books on the coffee table and putting his feet up.

"Are you going to tell me why you didn't want to go home?"

Rufus turned his head to look at Tseng. "You'll think I'm just a spoiled rich kid."

"I _already_ think you're a spoiled rich kid. Is this going to make it worse?”

"I guess not." Rufus let his breath out in a loud sigh. "Look, I'm not quitting my job. I can't. My father told me that if I didn't stick it out and learn my lesson, he'd kick me out. Cut me off."

"Your… lesson?"

Rufus cleared his throat. "The, uh. The drinking. And the sleeping around. Making the Shinra name look bad, apparently." Even in the low light of his apartment, Tseng could see a dull flush covering Rufus' cheeks.

"Then stop doing that?" It didn't seem so hard.

Rufus gave him a withering glare. "You sound like Heidegger."

"You could study. Learn a trade. Be independent from him."

"I'm useless at everything," Rufus said, the words so quiet Tseng barely heard them. "I ruin everything I touch. I’m not fit to inherit the company unless I straighten up."

"That's bullshit." Tseng was _not_ cut out for this crap. But there was something raw about the way Rufus said it, like he'd been told it so often he'd eventually accepted it as the truth. He sighed. “You’re really good at making coffee, okay? And the customers like you. Even the old ladies; and they don’t like _anyone._ I know it's not exactly a career you'd choose, but if it came down to it… you could have a career there.” He could barely believe what he was hearing himself say. It was true, though; Rufus was a pain in the ass and was turning Tseng’s life upside down, but he was good at his job. 

"You're nice." Rufus leaned against his shoulder, his hair tickling Tseng's face. "You pretend to be mean, but you're actually nice. And your hair is pretty. And you have a nice ass. And I think I really like you." He pressed closer, his thigh snug against Tseng's. 

"Rufus—"

"Can I kiss you?" He reached up and touched Tseng's cheek, and Tseng locked eyes with him. Rufus' grey eyes almost shone in the dim light of the lamps, his lips slightly parted and his fingers gently caressing Tseng's face, over his jawline and up to his forehead, where he touched the birthmark right between his eyebrows. For a moment, their lips hovered mere inches apart. It would be so easy to close the gap, to kiss Rufus senseless, to touch him in all the ways that had been haunting Tseng's imagination.

Tseng took a deep breath, and inhaled a gust of whiskey fumes from Rufus. He put his hand over Rufus', stilling its movements. "Ask me again when you're sober," he said, the words almost physically hurting him. He'd been thinking about Rufus' mouth for _ages,_ and he was turning down the opportunity to find out what he tasted like? He must be mad.

"I will," Rufus promised, lowering his hand. He didn't move away from Tseng's side, though, and they sat in silence for several minutes. Tseng was hyper aware of Rufus next to him, the heat of his body bleeding through to Tseng, and he wondered what the fuck he was doing.

“I’m going to bed,” Tseng said eventually, standing up. “I’ll get you a blanket.”

Rufus looked at the two-seater couch. “Um. Look, maybe I should go home. This is pretty small.”

“Is that a negative comment about my apartment?” Tseng narrowed his eyes, and Rufus raised his hands defensively.

“No, it’s a fact! Look, I’m not quite as tall as you, but I’m still taller than a two-seater.” He glanced over at Tseng’s bed—his queen sized bed, the largest he could fit in the apartment—and then back at Tseng.

This was a _very_ bad idea. “Fine,” Tseng sighed. “But if you throw up on me, I’ll throw you out the window.”

“Noted,” Rufus said with a faint smile.

  
  


Getting ready for bed was incredibly awkward. The bathroom was only just big enough to turn around in, but there was no way Tseng was getting changed with Rufus Shinra in the same room as him. He banged his elbows several times against the shower cubicle and almost tripped over his pajama pants, but he was finally decent and ready for bed. He cleaned his teeth, brushed his hair and loosely braided it, and opened the door to find Rufus sitting on his bed in just the slightly worn out pajama pants Tseng had dug up for him to wear.

“I don’t have a spare toothbrush,” Tseng said apologetically, “but there’s mouthwash you can use.”

“Thank god, my mouth is already starting to taste like a graveyard.” Rufus stood up and Tseng covered his mouth to hide a smile: the pajama pants were too long on him, and the ends trailed over his feet. It was a surprisingly endearing sight, but then Tseng’s gaze travelled up Rufus’ body to his bare chest, and he froze. Rufus was fucking _built,_ from the cut of his hips to his well-defined abs, all the way up to his rounded pecs that Tseng could too easily imagine himself touching.

“My eyes are up here,” Rufus said, and Tseng looked up, horrified at being caught staring. Rufus smirked at him and brushed past him as he went into the bathroom, a hand lightly trailing over Tseng’s ass.

“I’m going to throw _myself_ out the window,” Tseng muttered as the bathroom door closed. He turned off the bedside light before climbing into bed, sliding all the way over to the wall and leaving the other side empty for Rufus. He usually slept in the middle of the bed, limbs askew, not having to worry about disrupting someone else’s sleep. 

The bathroom door opened and Rufus reappeared, silhouetted against the light in the bathroom for a brief moment before he flicked the switch, plunging the apartment into darkness.

“You don’t snore, do you?” Rufus asked. Tseng could see his shadowy figure approaching the bed and, to his shock, he saw Rufus push the pajama pants down over his hips and onto the floor before sliding into bed next to him, pulling the covers up and rolling over to face Tseng.

“Uh, don’t think so,” Tseng said, horribly aware that Rufus was now practically naked in his bed, aside from what had looked like very skimpy briefs.

“Good.” Rufus was silent for a moment. “Thanks for letting me stay,” he added in a near-whisper.

“It’s okay,” Tseng replied, his voice just as soft. The bed seemed too small; Rufus’ face was only inches from his own, and he could smell the man’s spicy cologne as well as the minty scent of Tseng’s mouthwash. He had a sudden fear that he’d end up rolling into him during the night, and backed himself further against the wall.

Rufus sighed and rolled onto his back. “Goodnight,” he said, and the words sounded so resigned that Tseng almost felt bad.

But this was a terrible idea, all round. He couldn’t kiss Rufus; he couldn’t do _anything_ with him. He was so far out of Tseng’s league he might as well be from another planet. This was just… this was just Rufus having a bad night and Tseng helping him out. And if Rufus said he wanted to kiss Tseng, well. He’d wake up in the morning and feel mortified and it would never be spoken of again.

Tseng rolled over to face the wall and tried to get to sleep.

  
  


When he woke, the apartment was still in darkness. It had taken him a long time to fall asleep, worried about accidentally rolling over and hugging Rufus—or worse—in his sleep. He wasn’t hugging Rufus, but he _had_ reverted to his usual sleeping pattern: in the centre of the bed, his legs starfished to each corner and his arms spread out.

“Crap,” he muttered, and quickly shifted back so he was taking up a normal amount of space. He saw that Rufus was curled up in a ball near the edge of the bed, clearly trying to avoid Tseng’s flailing limbs, and his face flushed hot with guilt.

“God, you’re a terrible sleeper,” Rufus groaned, uncoiling himself and stretching out again. “You know, you smacked me in the face with one of your stupid long arms.”

“Sorry.” 

“And I’m going to have a bruise on my shin from where you kicked me.”

“I’m not used to sharing, alright?” Tseng snapped. 

“Clearly.”

Tseng huffed and rolled back over to face the wall again. He was shaking with frustration, and not only that: he’d woken up hard, and he desperately did not want Rufus to realise. He curled around himself, bringing his knees up to his chest, and tried to think of unsexy things. Veld, wearing one of those Honeygirl outfits from Wall Market. That time Reno came in to work hungover and threw up in a trashcan out the back while Tseng was on break. Those pictures of Rufus in the tabloids, looking dashing despite being photographed falling out of a car. Rufus in just his underwear, in bed next to Tseng, so close all he’d have to do was roll over and they’d be touching.

“Can’t sleep either?” Rufus murmured from behind him.

Tseng sighed. “I’m not used to this, okay?”

Rufus chuckled softly, the noise a low thrum which did strange things to Tseng. “I generally only share a bed with someone I’m planning on fucking, so I’m not used to this either.”

“Rufus—"

“I’m not drunk, okay?”

“What?”

“I was a bit drunk earlier, but not so much that I didn’t know what I was saying.”

Tseng couldn’t move. He felt the bed shift, and then there was a wall of heat behind him as Rufus slid close to him. He put a hand on Tseng’s back, warm through the cotton of his t-shirt. “I’m sober, Tseng.”

_Ask me again when you’re sober._

“Can I kiss you?”

Tseng didn’t have it in him to turn Rufus down a second time. He rolled over to face him, looking into his face in the dim light of the streetlamps coming in through the cheap blinds at the window. His eyes were dark, and his mouth was so close to Tseng’s he could almost taste it. God, those lips looked so soft. Rufus lifted a hand to touch Tseng’s face, just like he had earlier on the couch.

“Is that a yes?” The words were almost inaudible, his breath soft and warm against Tseng’s mouth. He stroked Tseng's hair gently, running his fingers down the loose braid and tugging the hair elastic free. Tseng was breathing rapidly, his heart pounding as he stared at Rufus. Even if this was all he got, he could at least have this one night.

“Yes,” Tseng breathed, and Rufus leaned in to brush his lips against Tseng’s. 

It was warm and painfully chaste, a mere press of lips together, but that lasted only a second before Rufus let out a soft moan and tilted his head to get a better angle. Tseng’s mouth opened without him even thinking about it, his lips parting against Rufus’, who made that soft noise again and clutched at a handful of his hair. Before Tseng knew it, he was flat on his back, Rufus half lying on him as they kissed, mouths open, tongues sliding together messily and it was _incredible._ In the intimate darkness of the room, Tseng didn’t hold back; he ran his hands up Rufus’ back, tracing the shape of his muscles and grabbing his shoulders as they panted into each other’s mouths, harsh breaths and grunts accompanying the kiss. 

“God, you taste good,” Rufus gasped, pulling away to take a breath before diving back in again, as if he couldn’t get enough of Tseng’s mouth. Tseng moaned, dragging Rufus across him so he was lying fully on top of Tseng’s body. He was no longer embarrassed by his erection; he could feel how hard Rufus was as well, and he ground his hips up against him, the fire coursing through him driving him to new heights of lust. He couldn’t stop kissing Rufus; couldn’t pull himself away from that mouth, those lips, that tongue working its magic on him. All the reasons against doing this had flown out the window, replaced by pure desire.

Rufus slid a hand up Tseng’s t-shirt, pushing at the fabric, and Tseng wanted desperately to be rid of it, rid of his pajama pants; they were nothing but a barrier between him and the gorgeous man lying on top of him. He pushed Rufus off him, ignoring his irritated grunt, and sat up, tearing his t-shirt over his head, not caring about how much it messed his hair up. Rufus tackled him down again, pressing their bare chests together as he captured Tseng’s mouth with his own once more, and Tseng immediately forgot what he was doing, too distracted by Rufus’ mouth, his tongue caressing him, those sweet noises Rufus made when Tseng ran his hands down his back. The sensation of skin on skin made Tseng moan desperately, and Rufus responded in kind, their shared noises echoing through the dark room. Rufus clutched at Tseng's side, his hand fitting perfectly in the curve of his waist, before reaching up to grope his chest.

"Nice," he murmured, pulling away from the kiss to flick his tongue over Tseng's nipple. 

Tseng let out a garbled noise and grabbed Rufus' head. 

“Get your fucking pants off,” Rufus growled, and Tseng nodded, yanking at them and pushing them down his legs as Rufus shifted back to his mouth, kissing him again. He was so hard it _hurt,_ his cock straining in his underwear, and as soon as he’d gotten his pants off, Rufus’ hand was on his dick, caressing him through the thin cotton of his boxers.

“Thought you just wanted to kiss me,” Tseng gasped, bucking his hips into Rufus’ touch.

“Wanted to fuck you since the moment I saw you,” Rufus replied, before shutting him up with more kisses. Tseng felt like his mouth was going to be bruised tomorrow; he was _definitely_ going to have some red marks on his face from where Rufus’ stubble had been scraping him as they kissed. He didn’t care. All he wanted was to never stop kissing him. Rufus’ claim about wanting to fuck him since they first met had sent a jolt of lust through him, and he suddenly regretted his failure to keep a stash of condoms in his apartment.

“We can’t,” he managed to force out as Rufus pulled away to take a breath.

“Can’t what?” Rufus peered down at him, not letting up the pressure on his cock. Tseng moaned, writhing underneath him.

“Can’t fuck. I don’t have anything here.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake—”

“God, shut _up._ ” Tseng pulled Rufus back down to him for more kisses, pushing their hips together and letting out a whine when he felt Rufus’ cock sliding against his own. Rufus obliged with enthusiasm, catching his mouth again as Tseng ran his hands down Rufus' back towards his ass, sliding his hands under his underwear and fondling him. Rufus grunted, grinding his hips down harder, and Tseng took hold of the waistband and tugged the briefs down over his ass. 

Rufus got the hint immediately, lifting his hips to allow Tseng to pull the offending garment down. The elastic caught on his dick, and Tseng brought his hands around to the front and slid one inside, wrapping around Rufus' cock and freeing it. Rufus moaned at Tseng's touch, bucking his hips, his cock thick and hot in Tseng's hand. Tseng was only too happy to jerk him off for a while, loving the way Rufus panted heavily into his mouth, the way his body writhed on top of him. 

"Come on, I want you naked," Rufus murmured, wriggling around on top of him until his underwear was gone before turning his attention to Tseng's. A brief fumble later and Tseng was equally naked, and they both inhaled sharply, gazing at one another with less than an inch of air between their faces, as their cocks slid together, hard and hot and so fucking _good._

"Tseng," Rufus whined, thrusting his hips. 

"Yeah," Tseng said breathlessly, one hand on Rufus' ass, the other gripping the back of his neck and pulling him down to Tseng's mouth again. "Fuck, I could kiss you forever."

Rufus moaned his agreement, opening his mouth against Tseng's as they resumed their frantic kisses, made only more desperate as they rutted against each other. Tseng wasn't sure he could come just from this, but he was giving it a damn good try, and having Rufus writhing and moaning on top of him, desperate noises catching in his throat, might well be enough to get him off. 

He wanted everything: he wanted to pull Rufus up and suck his cock, have him fuck Tseng's mouth. He wanted to flip them over, get Rufus' legs over his shoulders and fuck him until he screamed. He wanted—he wanted to kiss Rufus until the sun came up, until they were both late for work, until his mouth was black and blue from bruises. 

The heat building between them was intense, both of them thrusting their hips through the growing mess of precome leaking from them both. Tseng's eyes rolled back in his head at one particularly good thrust, his cock sliding effortlessly across Rufus' abdomen. He clutched Rufus' ass, determined to keep that position, and Rufus choked out his name. 

"I'm close, fuck, I'm so close," he said, a hint of panic in his voice. 

"Me too," Tseng forced out. "Shiva's tits, you feel so good, _fuck.”_

Rufus let out a high-pitched whine, muffling it against Tseng's mouth. Their movements were reaching a fever pitch, both of them sweating and gasping as they chased their orgasms.

And then—

"God, fuck, I'm coming, Tseng, I'm—"

Tseng gasped, feeling sudden warmth spread between them as Rufus twitched and moaned out his climax. It was enough to push Tseng over the edge as well, and his back arched, his heels dug into the sheets, his mouth hung open in a desperate groan as he came hard into the hot space between them. 

The room was silent apart from their panting breaths, the frantic kisses having eased off into gentle touches as they came down from the high. Rufus collapsed on top of Tseng, nestled between his thighs, and he cradled Tseng's head with a surprising gentleness, capturing his mouth once again as he stroked his hair. 

They really needed to clean up, but Rufus seemed disinclined to move. 

"That was… wow." Tseng was lost for words, his head still spinning. If that was how good it felt to just rut against Rufus, he couldn't wait to do more. 

Rufus groaned agreement, burying his face in Tseng's neck and nuzzling him. 

"Are you going to stop being such a dick to me at work now?"

Rufus propped himself up on his elbows and smirked at Tseng. "Unlikely," he said, and leaned down to kiss him again. 

  
  


Tseng woke to the blaring of his alarm, and he reached over to grope for his phone to turn it off. His hand smacked Rufus instead, who groaned.

“Time’s it?”

“Half seven,” Tseng grunted. Sundays counted as a late start; normally he was up at six in the morning and on his way to work by half past.

“Too early,” Rufus moaned. Tseng felt the bed next to him shift and something yanked his hair, and not in a fun way.

“Ow, what the fuck?” he yelped, clutching his scalp. Oh, right—he hadn’t rebraided his hair after their late night tryst, and now it was _everywhere._ He looked over at Rufus, who was lying on his back staring at the ceiling. Tseng’s hair was caught under his head, as well as partially wrapped around his neck, and Rufus puffed his cheeks and tried to blow away the locks caught on his face. He lifted a hand and delicately pulled a few strands out of his mouth.

“Your hair is a menace,” he said gravely. “I see why you braided it last night.” 

“Move, I have to get up. You do too, you're opening with me.” He nudged Rufus, who grumbled and moaned and refused to move. Tseng reached over him to grab his phone from the bedside table and silence the alarm, then flopped back down next to Rufus, deliberately letting his hair fall in a curtain over Rufus’ face. 

“Let's call in sick,” Rufus muttered, rolling into Tseng and wrapping an arm around his waist. “Stay here all day and have lots of sex.” He nuzzled Tseng’s jaw, dropping a line of kisses up towards his ear.

“We can’t just—Rufus, stop it—can’t just call in sick.” Tseng gasped when Rufus slid a thigh between Tseng’s legs, rubbing against him.

“You’re no fun.” 

“I—I have to— _fuck!”_

“Mmm. Would love that,” Rufus purred, shifting his focus to Tseng’s mouth and sliding his tongue inside as he took hold of his half-hard cock.

Tseng groaned and let Rufus pull him on top of him, sprawling over his body as they kissed. He probably had wicked morning breath—Rufus’ wasn’t that great, to be honest—but neither of them cared, tongues tangling in lazy, warm kisses as their hips gently thrust together. His hair tumbled forward and Rufus pushed his hands into it, caressing the heavy mass.

“Your hair is so soft,” he murmured, his voice tinged with awe. Tseng closed his eyes, moaning into Rufus’ mouth as his fingers ran over Tseng’s scalp, combing through his hair. Rufus tilted his head to the side and gently bit Tseng’s earlobe. “I can’t wait to hold onto it while I fuck you.” The words were hissed into Tseng’s ear, and he gasped, thrusting his hips harder. Rufus parted his legs, letting Tseng slip between his thighs, the new angle making it easier for their cocks to rub together.

God, Tseng was going to come like this, again, just from kissing Rufus and rubbing against him. But he wanted more now, and he reluctantly pushed himself away from Rufus' gorgeous mouth and those kisses he was already addicted to. 

"Where are you going?" Rufus asked petulantly as Tseng sat back on his heels, straddling Rufus' waist. Tseng looked down at him with no small amount of awe: the sun was just starting to stream through the thin blinds behind him, casting golden rays across Rufus' body. Rufus gazed up at him, his eyes filled with wonder, a faint smile on his face.

"You're gorgeous like this," he said softly. "Wish I could take a photo."

Tseng raised an eyebrow. He’d been having the same thought. Putting that idea aside for now, he raised his arms, quickly finger combing his hair into some semblance of order before tying it back in a messy ponytail. Rufus made an inquiring noise, but Tseng didn't reply, instead running his hands up Rufus' chest, tracing the lines of his muscles until Rufus was squirming under him. Rufus grabbed his hips, digging his fingers in and thrusting, his cock sliding against Tseng's. 

Tseng put a finger to his lips. "Keep the noise down, the walls are thin." As Rufus processed that, Tseng shifted, sliding down until he was lying between Rufus' legs, his face right over his cock. Rufus let out a strangled grunt when he realised what Tseng was about to do. 

"Oh, _fuck_ me," he breathed as Tseng lowered his mouth to his cock. It had been a while since Tseng had done this, but he remembered well the weight of a cock against his tongue, the musky, salty taste, the rush of power that surged through him at having another man at his mercy like this. He moaned, the vibrations of his mouth making Rufus shiver and clutch at his hair.

“Do you like having your hair pulled?” Rufus asked, his voice breathless. Tseng looked up at him, letting his cock slide slowly out of his mouth, and pushed his head into Rufus’ hands. He gasped when strong fingers rubbed against his scalp before taking hold of his ponytail, pushing him back down.

Rufus was _loud,_ despite Tseng’s warnings about the thin walls _._ He hadn’t noticed it this much the night before, occupied as they had both been with kissing, but gasps and groans bounced off the walls of Tseng’s apartment as he sucked and licked his way over Rufus’ dick, taking hold of the base as he tongued the head, swiping away precome and swirling his tongue around to make Rufus moan even more.

Tseng had never been very good at dirty talk; it embarrassed him, and he would much rather show what he wanted through actions. Rufus didn’t have any compunctions, and he gasped out praise and pleas often in the same breath. 

“Tseng, your mouth—fuck, it’s so good, please—god, yes, suck me harder! _Fuck!_ I want to fuck you, just want—want to get my cock in you, Tseng, I’m so _close,_ please—don’t stop!”

It was doing a number on Tseng; he’d woken up hard, gotten harder from having Rufus’ hand on him, and now he was rutting against the bedclothes as he got as much of Rufus’ cock in his mouth as he could. Rufus tugged on his hair, messing up his already-messy ponytail, and Tseng couldn’t get enough of it. It didn’t take long before Rufus was groaning out a warning— _I’m coming, Tseng, I’m—I’m coming!_ —and Tseng swallowed desperately as Rufus came down his throat.

  
  


"We're going to be late, and it's your fault," Tseng groaned. He couldn't move, too lethargic from Rufus returning the favour and sucking his brain out through his dick. He’d managed to get Tseng all the way in, as well, and the memory of his cock sliding in and out of Rufus’ throat was going to sustain his jerk-off fantasies for a _very_ long time. 

Usually he would be showered, shaved, and dressed by now, but instead he was sprawled naked on his bed, the covers tossed aside, with Rufus half on top of him, idly kissing him every so often. Not that Tseng was complaining about the kisses. He sighed and reluctantly pushed Rufus off him, sliding off the bed and wondering if he really needed to shower.

"Want me to wash your back?" Rufus asked, blatantly ogling Tseng's naked form. Tseng gave him a withering look. 

"You've seen the size of my shower." He rubbed his face; he definitely needed to clean up. He was tacky with sweat and come and besides that, the entire room smelled of sex, a musky scent which no doubt permeated his skin as well. No time to shave or wash his hair, though, and he pulled it into a messy bun on top of his head to keep it out of the way.

"Love watching you leave!" Rufus called after him as he headed into the bathroom. 

  
  


Tseng always liked the quiet time in the cafe before the rest of the team showed up. With Rufus trailing behind him in the uniform polo he’d borrowed from Tseng—it fit him fairly well, aside from being a bit tight around the upper arms and chest—he unlocked the doors and made his way into the back. Despite the late start, Tseng figured he still had about half an hour before Rude, Cissnei, and Elena showed up, so he didn’t object too strenuously when Rufus pushed him up against the wall and kissed him thoroughly. He let out a soft moan, tilting his head and happily reciprocating the greedy, desperate kisses, his hands running down Rufus’ back and pulling him closer as they slid their tongues together. 

He was strongly considering dropping to his knees and getting Rufus’ dick in his mouth again—he could still almost taste it, feel the shape of it against his tongue—but Rufus distracted him by unbuckling his belt and slipping a hand inside Tseng’s pants. Tseng gasped, clutching Rufus’ ass and bucking his hips up into his hand.

“God, you’ve got a nice cock,” Rufus said, kissing Tseng’s neck as he groped him, pushing aside his underwear and wrapping his hand around him. Tseng could only moan in response.

Things were going splendidly when Tseng suddenly heard a _thump_ from the doorway. He and Rufus both turned to look and froze at the sight of Rude, headphones and sunglasses on, mouth open, also frozen as he stared at them.

“ _Crap,_ ” Tseng hissed, grabbing Rufus’ hand and detaching it from his dick. Rude spluttered and coughed, leaned down to pick up the book he’d dropped on the floor, and backed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

“Awkward,” Rufus groaned. He took a step back, giving Tseng space to fix his clothes. “Will he tell everyone?”

Tseng looked at him sharply. “Why, are you ashamed of me?” 

“No! I just—“ Rufus ran a hand through his hair. “I just don’t really know what we’re doing. I thought you hated me, until last night.”

“Still kind of do,” Tseng snapped. He was rattled by Rude walking in on them, and immediately felt bad at Rufus’ crestfallen expression. 

“Oh, so you just want me for my dick?” Rufus snarled.

“Can we not do this here?” Tseng asked, frustration creeping into his voice. 

“Whatever,” Rufus replied, and stormed out of the room. Tseng flopped into a chair and stared at the ceiling. He had no fucking idea what he was doing. Where was this even going? What could Rufus want with him anyway, more than just a quick fuck? He could have the pick of any of the young upper class, and once his stint working in the cafe was over, he’d leave and not look back. He didn’t even know why he’d snapped at Rufus, why he’d accused him of being ashamed of him, saying he still hated him. It wasn’t Rufus’ fault Tseng was an emotionally stunted asshole.

Rude cleared his throat from the doorway. “You know, when I said you should loosen up, I didn’t mean you should loosen your—”

“Don’t even _think_ about finishing that sentence,” Tseng snapped.

Rude chuckled, a quiet and unexpected sound. “Just be glad Reno isn’t here.”

Tseng glared daggers at him. “You aren’t going to mention this to anyone, are you?”

“No way. You can trust me, boss.”

“Good.” Tseng resumed his contemplation of the ceiling tiles.

“Uh, did you want to talk about it?”

“Nope.”

“Right.”

  
  


The rest of the day went about as awkwardly as Tseng expected. Rufus ignored him completely aside from any work related requests, and even then he barely responded. Tseng missed the constant stream of flirtatious comments and cocky grins, something he thought he would have been glad to see the end of. The rest of the staff picked up on the tense atmosphere as well, none of them cracking any of their usual jokes. Tseng was glad Reno wasn’t working today: he would notice immediately that something had gone down between Tseng and Rufus, and he had a bad habit of figuring out all sorts of things about Tseng’s personal life without even having to ask.

Tseng finally managed to corner Rufus in the back just before he went on break. Rufus took one look at him and made to leave, and Tseng grabbed his arm.

“I need to talk to you,” he said softly.

Rufus glared at him but didn’t try to move away, which was a good sign, and Tseng led him out the back door into the alleyway behind the store. It was dimly lit and smelled pretty bad, but had the advantage of being out of sight. Rufus folded his arms, still glaring.

“What, did you want a quickie? Not exactly the best place for it.”

Tseng sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “No, I wanted to apologise.”

“Tseng—”

“I don’t really know what this all is or where it’s going,” Tseng interrupted, “but I had a really good time last night and would quite like to do it again.”

“Hmm.”

“And,” he plowed on, “I shouldn’t have snapped at you this morning. I’m sorry. I don’t hate you, I really don’t. And I shouldn’t have accused you of being ashamed of me.”

Rufus glowered at him for a moment. “I’m not ashamed of you, I swear,” he said quietly. “It’s just… I’m guessing you’ve seen what the papers like to print about me. It’s not pretty.”

“Hard not to notice,” Tseng agreed.

“So imagine if they found out about you. They’d plaster you all over the front page.”

“I—"

“I’m trying to _protect_ you, alright? I don't give a shit what they print about me, but I don't want them going after someone I care about. That’s why I asked if Rude would tell everyone.”

Ever since the previous evening, a warmth had been growing in Tseng’s chest. It had bloomed when he woke up next to Rufus, grown larger and harder to hide when Rufus held his hand on the train to work and then kissed him in the back room. It had shrunk during the day, withering and turning to a cold weight, but a jolt of warmth penetrated it at Rufus’ words. Tseng stared at him, his mouth half-open in surprise. He’d been worried about his superiors finding out about this, and hadn’t even considered what would happen if the press found out.

“Rufus, I—"

Rufus turned away, pacing back and forth with his arms folded tightly across his chest. Tseng couldn’t help noticing how much it emphasised his biceps, and he tucked that thought away for later. “I don’t date people, Tseng. I fuck them, and then they freak out and I never see them again, and it fucking _sucks._ ”

“Oh.”

“So. Want to get dinner tonight?” Rufus gave him a half-smile, a wan twist to his mouth.

“Well, yeah,” Tseng spluttered. 

Rufus blinked at him. “What?”

"Did you think I'd say no?"

That cocky grin was back, and Tseng didn't have a chance to say anything else, as Rufus shoved him against the brick wall of the alleyway and kissed him. This time they didn't get interrupted, and the next few minutes were spent enjoying each other's mouths, their bodies pressed together as they made out like a pair of horny teenagers. Rufus eventually broke away, sliding a thumb over Tseng's lower lip, a promise in his eyes of further fun to be had later. Tseng caught it between his teeth, biting down gently, and Rufus’ gaze turned heated.

"Are you working tomorrow?" he asked in a low voice, kissing below Tseng's ear.

"Day off," Tseng replied, and let out a choked moan when Rufus bit his earlobe. 

"Good," he hissed, "because I plan on staying at yours again tonight, and I don't intend to let you leave your bed until I'm done with you."

Distantly, Tseng heard Elena shout his name, and he reluctantly pushed Rufus back so he could straighten his clothes and smooth his hair. "Tonight, then?" he asked, his voice low and rough. 

"Tonight."

  
Tseng was relieved his shift was almost over: he was finding it hard to keep a straight face. Rude had immediately noticed him and Rufus returning to the back room together and given Tseng a knowing look, but thankfully Elena was too distracted by the annoyed customer out the front who she needed Tseng’s help with. Tseng was trying desperately not to think about his date with Rufus tonight, but it was extremely challenging when, whenever he turned around, Rufus was there with a wide smile and, sometimes, a flirtatious touch out of sight.

They couldn’t go out to a restaurant; it was too public, and they were quite frankly lucky there hadn’t been any paparazzi around the previous evening to catch Rufus and Tseng staggering out of the pub together and towards the train station. Instead, Rufus had promised to come over to Tseng’s, and they would order takeout and watch a movie.

Tseng thought this was unlikely to happen; if Rufus was as worked up as he was, he didn’t expect them to get more than five minutes into a movie before getting distracted. When he got home, he showered and washed his hair, for once feeling like he should dedicate time to drying and straightening it instead of just tying it up and hoping for the best. He tied it neatly in a half ponytail, keeping it off his face but still flowing down his back, which Rufus seemed to like. His hair taken care of, he did a quick tidy of the apartment, putting away most of the clutter and running a duster over everything. 

His mind kept going to the condoms and lube he’d bought on the way home, tucked away in the bedside table.

By the time he heard the buzzer, he was jumping out of his skin with nervous excitement, and quickly took a moment to check his hair again before opening the door. 

“Hey,” Rufus drawled, leaning against the doorframe and giving Tseng a wide smile. He was wearing a very expensive looking pair of jeans, paired with a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and Tseng wanted to devour him on the spot. 

“Uh, hi,” Tseng replied, and Rufus breezed past him, the sharp scent of his cologne making Tseng’s knees weak. He was quite proud that he managed to wait until Rufus had kicked his shoes off pulling him in for a kiss.

“Hmm, straight to business then,” Rufus said, curling an arm around Tseng’s waist and kissing him back with enthusiasm. They ended up sprawled on the bed, Tseng on his back with Rufus on top of him, legs tangled together as they made out. 

“God, you make me so fucking horny,” Rufus gasped, pulling away for a moment before Tseng made a frustrated whine and grabbed the back of his head, tugging him back down again.

“Did you—did you want to watch a movie?” Tseng forced out between kisses, a wide smile on his face.

“What do _you_ think?” Rufus reached down between them and cupped Tseng’s crotch, grinding the heel of his hand into his dick through his jeans. He slid his other hand up into Tseng’s hair, his hand spread flat against his scalp before making a fist and tugging gently. “You left your hair out for me to play with,” he murmured.

“Pretty sure you made me a promise this morning,” Tseng reminded him, tilting his head into Rufus’ hand, his eyes closing as Rufus stroked his fingers through his hair. Rufus felt so good on top of him, that solid weight pressing him into the bed, his warm mouth on Tseng’s, his strong hands touching him. The fire that had been burning in Tseng’s gut reignited as their hips started a slow grind together.

“Clothes!” Rufus panted into Tseng’s mouth. He was fumbling with Tseng’s belt buckle, trying to get it open with one hand, and Tseng pushed him away, ignoring his annoyed grunt. He’d imagined a slow shedding of clothes, of peeling Rufus’ shirt and pants off bit by bit, revealing his body, but in the heat of the moment it was less of a striptease and more of a frantic disrobing. Less than a minute later their clothes were in a messy pile on the floor and Tseng was astride Rufus’ hips, both of them completely naked. Rufus gazed up at him, his grey eyes shining in the light of the bedside lamp, his hair gorgeously tousled on the pillow.

“Hey,” Tseng said quietly, smiling down at Rufus, fondness filling his heart to bursting. He took hold of Rufus’ hands, linking their fingers, and Rufus grinned back, his entire face lighting up with his smile. Tseng lifted Rufus’ hand to his mouth, kissing his fingertips, his knuckles, letting his tongue dart out to tease the sensitive skin between his fingers. Rufus’ eyes darkened and he bit his lip, his hips jerking under Tseng. Tseng could feel how hard Rufus was, and he shifted his own hips, pressing their cocks together.

“C’mere,” Rufus murmured, sliding his hands up Tseng’s arms and tugging him down by his shoulders. Tseng was only too happy to comply, leaning over and letting his hair fall to the side as he gently kissed Rufus. He pulled away after just a brief moment, smiling as Rufus whined softly and slid both hands up over Tseng’s scalp, digging his fingers in and dragging him back down for more. Their lips touched again, more firmly this time, and Tseng let out a quiet whimper at how soft and warm Rufus’ mouth was. 

All of a sudden, Rufus’ hands were on Tseng’s hips and he was being flipped over, ending up on his back with Rufus on top of him again. Rufus dived back in, sliding the tip of his tongue into Tseng’s mouth, letting out a moan as Tseng eagerly reciprocated. 

“Did you want me like this?” Tseng gasped. He wrapped his legs around Rufus, their erections sliding together in a way which made him moan. “Or did you want me on my hands and knees?”

“I want you every fucking way,” Rufus growled. “Please tell me you’ve got condoms now.”

Tseng flung an arm towards the bedside table, and Rufus lifted up enough to reach over and pull the drawer open, quickly finding what he needed. “Hands and knees, I think,” he said, kissing Tseng’s neck as he wrapped his hand around Tseng’s dick, slowly jerking him off. Tseng moaned, bucking his hips into Rufus’ hand, and frantically reached between them to get his hand on Rufus as well. For several long minutes they stroked each other, breath coming quickly, sweat beading on their bodies as they shared ragged, desperate kisses. 

Tseng’s head was spinning, his entire body on fire, and all he could think about was getting Rufus’ dick in him. He honestly didn’t care at this stage where this was going—whether it was a one-off quick fuck, a friends with benefits situation, or an actual relationship of some kind—he just wanted Rufus to fuck him _yesterday._

“Ready?” Rufus asked eventually, when Tseng was shaking and on the edge, his cock almost painfully hard, his balls aching with the need to come, precome leaking all over his stomach. Rufus was in a similar state, his chest heaving, his body a fiery heat against Tseng’s.

“What do you think?” Tseng growled, pushing Rufus off him and rolling over onto his hands and knees. He heard a pleased noise from Rufus and a warm hand stroked gently over his ass before the click of a bottle sounded and a slick finger rubbed down between his cheeks.

“Yeah?” Rufus inquired as he slid a finger into Tseng. Tseng grunted, bucking his hips, pressing back against Rufus. It felt good, but wasn’t nearly enough: all Tseng wanted was to be absolutely _railed,_ to have Rufus fucking him into the mattress until he screamed. Rufus quickly followed up with another finger, finding that spot inside which made Tseng‘s limbs shake with need. 

“Shiva’s tits, _fuck me_ already,” Tseng hissed, clutching desperately at the bedclothes as Rufus teased him. He heard a low chuckle from behind him, and the fingers inside him withdrew. He moaned again as he heard the sound of foil ripping, reaching underneath his body to take hold of himself, stroking his dick with a trembling hand. He was already too close; it wouldn’t take long to push him over the edge.

Rufus smacked his hand away. “Stop that.” He grabbed Tseng’s hips, pulling his ass up, and Tseng buried his face in the pillow, letting out a long, drawn-out whine as Rufus pressed himself inside.

“Oh, fuck, you feel so good,” Rufus gasped, his hands tight on Tseng’s hips. He didn’t hesitate for too long, drawing back before slowly pushing in, and Tseng swore into the pillow. Rufus’ cock felt so fucking _good_ inside him, sliding against him in all the right ways, pressing against that sensitive spot deep inside him which made him want to beg. He pushed back against him, grinding his ass into Rufus’ hips, trying to get him to move faster, _harder._

“I’m not made of glass!” he snapped.

“You want more?” Rufus said, leaning over Tseng’s back and kissing his neck. He took hold of Tseng’s hair, coiling a thick lock around his fingers, before tangling his fingers in deep at the roots and tugging _hard._ Tseng let out a throaty moan as his head was pulled back, and Rufus slammed his cock back into him at the same time.

 _That_ was more like it. Rufus sped up, fucking him harder, his hips slapping against Tseng’s ass as he pulled his hair in time with his thrusts. Tseng’s entire body was on fire, intense heat building in his gut, spreading out through his limbs until he thought he might explode. He hadn’t been fucked like this for _years,_ and Rufus’ hand in his hair, keeping up those sharp, intense tugs, only served to heighten his desperation. 

“Rufus—I need—” He struggled to speak, but he didn’t need to: Rufus reached around and took hold of his cock, letting him fuck his fist as their hips thrust together. Tseng cried out and his entire body seized up, curses falling from his lips as he came, covering Rufus’ hand and the bedclothes beneath him. Rufus was right behind him, and Tseng felt him stiffen up, his thrusts becoming jerky and uncoordinated before he let out a long moan and collapsed against Tseng’s back.

“Oh my god,” Tseng mumbled into the pillow. Rufus slowly peeled himself off Tseng’s back, quickly removing and tying off the condom before falling down onto the bed next to him. Tseng rolled over into him, deftly avoiding the wet spot, and slung an arm around his waist as he buried his face in Rufus’ shoulder.

“Well, that was fucking amazing,” Rufus said, wrapping his arm around Tseng’s shoulders.

“Mmm.” Tseng couldn’t move; he didn’t think he could even _talk._ Rufus tilted his head down and caught Tseng’s mouth in a tender kiss, his hand cupping Tseng’s cheek.

  
They eventually had to move—Tseng’s stomach let out a loud gurgle, and Rufus laughed, offering to order some delivery from the Wutaian place around the corner while Tseng showered. He stumbled into the bathroom and stood under the hot water for several minutes, his entire body aching but in _such_ a good way. He couldn’t believe this was his life: kissing Rufus, having him in his bed, in his life. He tried not to think about the future, tried instead to just live in the here and now where he might, perhaps, have a boyfriend.

“Hurry up, I need to piss!” Rufus yelled through the door, and Tseng laughed. 

An hour later they were sprawled on the couch, legs tangled together, empty takeout containers on the coffee table as they made out in front of the television. Tseng couldn’t even recall what movie he’d put on, distracted as he was by Rufus’ mouth on his again. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of Rufus’ kisses, whether they were warm, soft, post-orgasmic kisses, or the desperate, needy kisses when he was horny. 

“This is really nice,” Rufus said quietly, breaking away from Tseng for a moment. He cupped his face gently, and Tseng’s heart skipped a beat. He turned his head to kiss Rufus’ fingertips, gazing into his eyes. 

“You have gorgeous eyes,” he murmured, and Rufus smiled.

“Likewise,” he replied, his voice soft. “And gorgeous hair.” He combed his fingers through it again. It was relaxing, like a massage, and Tseng’s eyes fell closed as Rufus stroked him gently.

“Want to go to bed?” Rufus asked. “I’m not exactly paying attention to this movie.”

Tseng nodded, sitting up properly and flicking the television off. The empty containers could wait until tomorrow; all he wanted now was to curl up under the covers with Rufus and fall asleep next to him. 

  
  


During the night they rolled together again, wordlessly reaching for each other in the darkness. Tseng wrapped his legs around Rufus’ waist and pulled him close, kissing him deeply as Rufus wrapped his hand around both their cocks, a slow and maddening stroke making Tseng gasp and moan in desperation. He would have thought he’d struggle to get it up again after being so well-fucked earlier in the evening, but Rufus’ hand on him was enough. They came together in the humid heat between them, grunting and gasping around kisses, bodies too warm and slick with sweat. They lay there for several moments, sharing each other’s breath as they recovered, limbs languid and relaxed. 

“I can’t get enough of you,” Tseng murmured in Rufus’ ear, and Rufus nodded. They parted reluctantly, cleaning up the mess between them quickly, and Rufus pushed Tseng onto his side, aggressively curling up behind him and spooning him with an arm around his waist and his leg slung over Tseng’s thighs. He was asleep only minutes later, his breath tickling Tseng’s hair, and Tseng smiled.

He woke in the same position a few hours later as the first rays of sunlight started to shine into the apartment. Pulling his phone out from under his pillow, he quickly checked his messages.

_Still on for lunch today?_

_Crap._ Tseng had forgotten he and Aerith were planning to meet up today.

 _Can’t,_ Tseng replied, and raised his phone to take a selfie of himself with Rufus curled up behind him, still fast asleep. He sent it off with a smiley face, grinning to himself.

_WHAT THE HELL. TSENG YOU DIDN’T._

Covering his mouth to stifle a laugh, Tseng replied immediately. _4 orgasms in 24 hours bitch._

_Who are you and what have you done with Tseng??_

_:)_

_Can’t believe you’re blowing me off for your new boyfriend.  
_ _Wait  
_ _Is he your boyfriend?_

Tseng frowned. _Don’t know. We haven’t talked about that yet. But he seems to really like me._

Rufus stirred behind him, and Tseng quickly put his phone back under the pillow before rolling over to face him.

“Good morning,” Rufus mumbled, nuzzling Tseng’s nose. 

“Mm. Good morning to you too.” He caught Rufus’ mouth in a kiss, wincing slightly at his breath.

“What did you want to do today?” Rufus asked.

Tseng leaned back, appraising him. “There’s a cafe down the road from Shinra where we could get breakfast. It does really good food and coffee, better than the shit we serve.”

Rufus frowned. “Are you sure? What if someone sees us? What if—what if you end up in the Daily Buzz?”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Tseng said. “And—look, I don’t know what you want from me here, except clearly the sex is great. But I’m not the type to just fuck around.” He sat up and looked down at Rufus, his gorgeous naked body spread out in Tseng’s bed.

“Tseng—”

“And if you just want to fuck around, let me know sooner rather than later,” Tseng plowed on.

Rufus sat up next to him. “Like I said yesterday, I don’t generally tend to date.” He ran a hand through his tousled hair, letting out a short laugh. “I can count the number of people who genuinely care about me on one hand, and I wouldn’t even need to use all my fingers.” He sighed. “I really like hanging out with you. You don’t just tell me what I want to hear. It’s refreshing.”

Tseng smirked. “Happy to help.”

“So yeah, I don’t want to just have this be a quick fuck or whatever.” He looked down, his pale cheeks flushing pink. “I don’t know how to do this but do you want to try, uh, dating?”

“Hmm. What’s in it for me?”

Rufus looked back at him, and Tseng only managed to keep a straight face for a moment before Rufus tackled him back down to the bed. “You’re a dick,” he said, before leaning in to kiss him.

  
  


They _did_ end up in the paper, but in stark contrast to Rufus’ usual headlines, this one instead featured a blurry photo through a window of Rufus and Tseng sitting at a small table in Seventh Heaven, their knees pressed together and their hands clasped on the table. The headline read _RUFUS SHINRA SPOTTED OUT WITH MYSTERY MAN_. Tseng’s hair was hiding his features, but it wasn’t enough to conceal him from the people who knew him, and he was unsurprised when Veld showed up at his cafe the next morning, paper in hand.

“So,” Veld said, tossing the paper down. “This wasn’t quite what I meant by ‘rein him in’.”

Tseng gave him a level stare. “Are you about to tell me how to conduct my personal life?” he asked. 

Veld leaned forward on his elbows. “Look, Tseng, as much as I’m against work relationships, I can’t really complain too much. The CEO is happy with Rufus’ progress, which means I’m happy.”

“Does he know it’s me?”

“Not yet,” Veld said with a chuckle. “But he will eventually.”

Tseng shrugged. “Does it really matter? I don’t imagine Rufus will be working here for much longer.” It pained him a little; he quite liked seeing Rufus most days.

“He hasn’t told you?”

“What?”

Veld cleared his throat. “Apparently, he met with his father last night and told him he was quite happy working here, and considered it vital to his one day running the company to know what it was like on the ground floor, as it were.”

Tseng blinked at him. “He—he didn’t mention that, no.”

“Good work, Tseng,” Veld said, standing up. “Interesting methods, but you got results.” He patted Tseng on the shoulder and left, and Tseng started setting up the machines, a wide smile on his face.

”You’re _smiling,_ ” Reno said, standing in the doorway and glaring suspiciously at Tseng. “I’ve never seen you smile. What happened, did you finally get railed?”

“Reno!”

“You did, didn’t you?” Reno pointed at him, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “We all suspected. Laney and Ciss thought you’d met a girl, but _I_ think you’re fucking Rufus.”

“That’s enough!” Tseng snapped, his face flaming.

Reno perched on the counter, still grinning widely. “C’mon, Tseng. You can tell me. Rude knows, but he’s not talking. But I figured it out.” His eyes lit upon the newspaper Veld had left, and Tseng made a grab for it. Too late; Reno swiped it out from under his grasping fingers, and immediately saw the photo on the front page.

“I was right! This is going in the group chat,” Reno said admiringly, quickly snapping a photo.

“Don’t you dare—” Tseng started, but it was too late. His phone vibrated in his pocket, a buzz followed rapidly by several more buzzes as the rest of the team saw the photo Reno had posted. He sighed; it was inevitable that they would find out eventually.

“What’s the problem?” Reno asked, looking genuinely confused at Tseng’s frustration. “You’re not embarrassed, are you? Cause me and Rude have been fucking for _months._ We’re not gonna judge.”

Tseng’s mouth fell open. “What?”

Reno rolled his eyes. “You’re blind, boss. Ciss has a new boyfriend, too—some dark-haired cutie working over at Seventh Heaven.”

“I—I didn’t know,” Tseng said quietly. 

Reno hopped off the counter and patted Tseng on the back. “That’s because you try not to be our friend.” He grabbed his bag and headed out back, leaving Tseng a little shaken. He thought he knew his staff pretty well, and he was friendly with them, but had never considered them _friends._

It was a bit sad, really. Why was it alright for his team to be friends with each other, but for him to remain apart? Maybe it was time to rethink that philosophy. Tseng sighed and continued cleaning out the toaster oven.

Elena was the next to arrive, and she stood in front of Tseng wearing a broad grin and holding her hands up for a high five until he rolled his eyes and reciprocated. She whooped loudly, and went to join Reno out the back.

“So, you’ve seen the paper,” a voice drawled from the doorway, and Tseng turned to see Rufus standing there. He’d changed a fair bit since his first shift: his polo was no longer freshly ironed and now had a few coffee stains on it, and he’d switched to plain black jeans and boots instead of his expensive clothing.

“It could have been worse,” Tseng admitted, wiping his hands off and coming around the counter. Rufus was on him in a moment, pressing his ass up against the counter as he put his hands on Tseng’s waist and leaned in to kiss him. Tseng pulled away briefly, aware that Reno and Elena were out the back and probably watching from the doorway, but then Rufus’ mouth was on his and he realised he didn’t actually care.

“So you’re staying?” Tseng murmured when Rufus let him up for air. 

Rufus grinned, and dragged him in for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Twitter: sherribon


End file.
